Washing machine appliances generally form wash and rinse fluids to clean clothing articles disposed within a wash basket of the appliance. The wash and rinse fluids can be formed in a wash tub of a washing machine appliance and can include water and various fluid additives such as, e.g., detergent, fabric softener, and/or bleach. The wash and rinse fluids are typically dispensed to the wash basket through one or more nozzles during certain periods of the wash and rinse cycles. However, air may become trapped in a typical nozzle such that not all of the fluid introduced into the nozzle is dispensed during the allotted period of time. Thus, if the trapped air dissipates during the remainder of the wash or rinse cycle, the fluid retained in the nozzle could flow to the wash basket during undesirable periods of the wash or rinse cycles.
Also, fluid dispensing nozzles for washing machine appliances are generally formed as one or more parts, and one or more valves are assembled with the nozzles to control fluid flow through the nozzle. The assembly of the nozzle and the valves requires hoses, clamps, and the like, which have the potential to leak. Moreover, the use of multiple component parts increases the materials and manufacturing costs of the washing machine appliance, as more parts require more labor and time to assemble.
Further, washing machine appliances may dispense a volume of fluid to a load of articles in the wash basket to sense, e.g., the load size, the type of articles (such as, e.g., cotton, synthetic, or a blend of cotton and synthetic) within the load, and/or whether the articles were wet when loaded into the wash basket. To accurately sense, e.g., the size of the load of articles, the volume of fluid preferably is evenly dispensed to the load of articles. Also, rinse fluids are preferably evenly dispensed to the articles in the wash basket to adequately rinse the load of articles. However, typical nozzles for dispensing fluid to the wash basket have a narrow range of distribution of the fluid to the wash basket, which can hinder accurate wet load sensing and inadequately distribute fluid for rinse cycles of the washing machine.
Additionally, fluid dispensing nozzles typically are installed through an opening in a top panel or a portion of the cabinet of the washing machine appliance and are positioned to spray fluid into the wash basket. Fluid, such as, e.g., water vapor or splash, that escapes through the opening for the nozzle and into the cabinet could harm components positioned within the cabinet or could leak onto the floor beneath the washing machine appliance. Thus, fluid preferably should be prevented from passing around the nozzle and through the opening in which the nozzle is installed.
Accordingly, a washing machine appliance having an integrated nozzle and valve body assembly for dispensing fluids to the wash basket of the washing machine would be beneficial. In addition, a nozzle assembly for a washing machine appliance that evenly dispenses fluid to a wash basket of the washing machine appliance would be useful. Further, a nozzle assembly with features for preventing moisture intrusion into the cabinet of the washing machine appliance and for preventing fluid entrapment in the nozzle assembly would be advantageous.